Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-11-05

high tribute to his successful work of
organic ltion. Cleburne devoted himself
daily to military studies, and required the
same of all his subordinate officers; in
fact, drill, discipline and srduous study
were obligstory upon al who served in
the "Irish Brigade"
During the second day's battle ct
Shiloh the fighting was terrific, with occa-
sional lulls. It seemed as if both sides
spent themselves at intervals, and rested
their fury IN utter exhaustion. With
straining desperation our line held its
ewn under fierce and repeated assaults.
The pressure st times OF over Whelning
numbers upon our decimated ranks Vas
| frightful. Thousands Of demoEalized
soldiers jgnominiously struggled back,
desf TO eutreaty or menace. The order
was issued for the cavalry to be dis
parsed into squads and bring the
struggling infantry to the front. The
shame of that day, glorious in the
splendid audacity and heroism of the
few who stood immOvable against every
assault, was this distressing desertion.
| 1t did not often hsppep to the southern
soldier, but the enjoyment of unusual
camp luxuries captured from the enemy
had spread strange timidity Or some
thing else unwonted to our steady SOL
diers. wss pushing these strsgglers to
the front when q familiar voice hailed
and inquired what WIS doing. 1t was
Cleburne, alone, his brigade scattered to
the four winds, not man to fol-
low him. In the fearful carnage
of the two days. fight his COM
msnd had dwindled to nothing and he
was leader without men. He Joined
me in my duty. Sometimes we found ten
or ffteen men, With an officer, buried in
the bushes, Sinking the danger. would
that could pess over these facts, but
the truth must be told. Spots they are
upon an admitted and magnificent chroDi-
Gle of gallantry. can recall Cleburne
with pistol in hand ordering such fel-
lows to the front in harsh, loud voice.
voice dissonant in its high notes, but
sweet in its low tones.
Later in the afternoon we met Colonel
Carney, volunteer aid on Hardee's stsff
who told US that General Beauregard had
ordered retreat, and still later we met
General Breckenridge, who had charge
OF the rear guard, who confirmed
the intelligence; and still later we
a tree, unblanched ard cool, as he always
IN hour or two destroying ammunition
and preparing for the reGrograde, Gle
burne doing private's part. We heard
graeus,in the wood off from the road,
and discovered poor fellow lying in 3
sitting position against log, palli6,
faint, dying, bowels torn out, suffering
unutterable agony and begging God for
mercifUl death. There was nothing in
which 10 remove him. There was no re-
lief for him but speedy death, the quicker
the better. Il was a cruel and suggestive
case Of wars horrors. With "poor
felloW!" tenderly uttered, and with tears
il his eyes, CIeburne left him.
AS we passed through camp we saw
some immense hsrdtscks, a bucket Of
butter, and half sack OF corn. The writer
lifted the corn to the front of CIeburne's
saddle by his direction. l then huttered
for each of US one Of the huge areas OF
biscuit, and, swinging the bucket on my
own arm for further use, on we rode,
eagerly murchipg the tough proyeadcr. 1
often af,erWsrd JCked the General upon
his comiCal appearance, holding with one
hard the bulky sack of grain on his sad.
die pOmmel and with ire other hand
graspiEg s sheet Of cracker IS broad as
thesmap Of the United States, and cram
ming it in hssVy relays down his
throat. The rain began to fall,
addirg to the gloom of the disas-
ter. 1t became heavier until it
grew TO steady pour, and the road was
converted into s deep slop and the wsy
impenefrably dark, and we could only go
by the occasional fash sthwart the cim-
meria1 darkness. We fed our horses
about 8 O'Clock and then resumed our
weary ride to Corinth. Men and animals
were worn out. We rode sleeping, and
would be awakened by jostlIng agsiaet
some one, or by fierce oath from some
startled trooper. The horses would stop
to drink in crossing branches md fail
asleep. Frequently l would awake aad
find my EOrse stark still, and hltuding
FISH OF lightning would reveal the Gener-
s'e gray hugging closely TO iDy mare, the
General snooZing away IS X he had made
g special contract to Slsep. At length,
far in the night, We arrived st broad
creek and let our horses drink, and Of
course she writer went to sleep. l gas
awakened by deafening clap OF thunder.
I called for my companion, but he was
gone, and I saw him no more for several
days. The roads forked between the
creek, and we took different routes. C,e-
burne told ne afterward that he aWoke
and found me missing and shouted Justify
Tor me, and then rode on and brought up
finally ct q farm house.
CIeburne made q characteristic charge
in the first days battle ct Chickamauga
He was selec ed late in the afternoon to
drive the enemy from an important posi-
ton that had been held in spite Of every
assault the entire day. This was Sep
TENDER 10, 1868. It was q little before
sunset. The whole line wss quiet. Gle
burne gave the order to his peerless di-
vision 10 advance. Perhaps never in the
same brief space of quarter Of an hour
was there deadlier struggle. A deafen-
ing and continuous roar of cannon and
musketry marked the bloody work. Gle
burne led his veterans straight TO victory,
with the resistless momentum CT .
tornado. It was 8 mxrVel of 81
deliberate but fiery vslor. this deuntless
onset of fifteen fatal minutes. The in
trepid division bivouacked upon the CORY
ground they hsd,swifGly but bloodily won,
and the next days work saw one Of the
brightest victories OF the war reward
southern soldierd ood st this we'll named
'Rver of Desth."
Having successfully fought those great